Playoffs?!? PLAYOFFS??!!?

[chuck]

Playing a meaningful final game is a hell of a lot more than any of us had a right to hope for at the beginning of the year.

[barrett]

And amazingly if we snuck into the playoffs we would play either Indy or Pittsburgh, and I think we could compete with either, even with a fourth string quarterback.

[WMH]

Originally Posted by chuck

Playing a meaningful final game is a hell of a lot more than any of us had a right to hope for at the beginning of the year.

No doubt about it. That's why I am pretty excited about the future.

[chuck]

I just want to see the fake snap over Keenum's head play one more time and then I think the season will feel complete.

[Nconroe]

I was just wondering what other bag of trick plays we might see this game. And Cleveland has won 7 games with Hoyer at QB so there is a slim hope they pull the upset.

Anyways overall happy ending to the season and more to look forward to next season

[HPF Bob]

Hoyer had been upgraded to "probable", fwiw.

If we wind up with a 9-7 season despite little contribution from our top five draft choices, I'm satisfied - playoffs or no playoffs. Hopefully, those draft choices become starters and fixtures next season on top of the ones we will add this spring.

Before puffing our chests too much, we beat pretty much the teams we could expect to beat, other than Baltimore. 3-0 (hopefully 4-0) against Tennessee and Jacksonville, victories over Washington, Oakland, Buffalo and Cleveland - not exactly a murderer's row. Still, we bounced back from 4-5. Hats off to O'Brien and Crennel for a solid 2014 season. The irony is that, next year, we get the NFC South and AFC East, so we could have an even cushier schedule next season and post a winning record and still not be all that good.

We should get:
Indy (2X), Tennessee (2X), Jacksonville (2X), Tampa Bay, Atlanta, New Orleans, Carolina, New England, Buffalo, Miami, NY Jets, SD or KC plus the runner-up in the AFC North. That *could* add up to a 13-3 season if our talent grows and our mistakes drop, 11-5 if we're a little worse than that.

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by barrett

And amazingly if we snuck into the playoffs we would play either Indy or Pittsburgh, and I think we could compete with either, even with a fourth string quarterback.

We aren't gonna get into the POs if we need Cleveland to go on the road to Baltimore and win, not gonna happen. So far lots of things have fallen in place
for us, but that won't. I'm confidant about beating the JAGS again, and I actually like KC at home vs SD, but the Browns game is just an example of needing help one too many times.

[Arky]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

Hoyer had been upgraded to "probable", fwiw.

If we wind up with a 9-7 season despite little contribution from our top five draft choices, I'm satisfied - playoffs or no playoffs. Hopefully, those draft choices become starters and fixtures next season on top of the ones we will add this spring.

Before puffing our chests too much, we beat pretty much the teams we could expect to beat, other than Baltimore. 3-0 (hopefully 4-0) against Tennessee and Jacksonville, victories over Washington, Oakland, Buffalo and Cleveland - not exactly a murderer's row. Still, we bounced back from 4-5. Hats off to O'Brien and Crennel for a solid 2014 season. The irony is that, next year, we get the NFC South and AFC East, so we could have an even cushier schedule next season and post a winning record and still not be all that good.

We should get:
Indy (2X), Tennessee (2X), Jacksonville (2X), Tampa Bay, Atlanta, New Orleans, Carolina, New England, Buffalo, Miami, NY Jets, SD or KC plus the runner-up in the AFC North. That *could* add up to a 13-3 season if our talent grows and our mistakes drop, 11-5 if we're a little worse than that.

Well, I don't think the Browns and Bills are really doormats anymore, at least, this year. For example, the Browns went into Cincy and put a whooping on them; Bills beat the Packers.....

What really hurt was the 7pt or less losses to the Cowboys, Steelers and Colts (2X). If we could've got one of those to go our way.... the stinker against the NY Giants hurt...

I want to see us win our division next year. xxxx the Colts.

[WMH]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

We aren't gonna get into the POs if we need Cleveland to go on the road to Baltimore and win, not gonna happen.

Unlikely for sure.

BUT....
Its also unlikely that Oakland will beat Buffalo and knock them from the chase.
Its also unlikely that Houston will beat Baltimore with a 4th string QB that had been there for 4 days.
Its also unlikely that Washington will beat the Eagles with a tattered QB that had been benched in favor of a 3rd stringer.
Its also unlikely that the Jets would take the Pats to the wire in the 4th with home field advantage in jeopardy.

And that was just this last week......

Any Given Sunday mantra is what makes this league so damn entertaining.

[HPF Bob]

Kansas City QB Alex Smith is out for Sunday's game against the Chargers with a lascerated kidney. I think that pretty well dooms us. What are the odds KC wins with their backup QB, Cleveland wins with their recently benched QB and Houston wins with the 4th string QB? We're talking miracle time.

[Keith]

Can KC's backup QB hand it off to Jamaal Charles? Or maybe even toss a TD pass to a WR?

I'm not one to vastly overrate Alex Smith in the first place.

[chuck]

Here's a list of the fantasy quarterbacks I have had this year:

Nick Foles
Carson Palmer
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Alex Smith

Next year I'm going all out to draft Tom Brady and Andrew Luck.

[Warren]

The Case Keenum/Connor Shaw/Chase Daniel trifecta wouldn't even be a good bet in the CFL...

[HPF Bob]

Originally Posted by Warren

The Case Keenum/Connor Shaw/Chase Daniel trifecta wouldn't even be a good bet in the CFL...

But it would prove somebody in the organization has a Tebow-like pipeline to deity. That would be the sort of miracle they do 30-for-30 films about someday.

[HPF Bob]

Originally Posted by chuck

Next year I'm going all out to draft Tom Brady and Andrew Luck.

Yes, please.

[Arky]

Originally Posted by Arky

KC is actually a 2.5 pt favorite to beat San Diego.

Unfortunately, the Ravens are 10 pt favorites to defeat the Browns....

....

Due to recent QB changes, the Ravens are now (up to) 14 pt favorites over the Browns and KC vs. San Diego has dropped to a "pickem".

Texans still holding at 9.5 to 10.5 pt favorites.....

Right now, purchasing a $10 3-team parlay for the Texans (-500), Browns (+800) and Chiefs (-210) to all win would pay off $149.43..... In the gambling biz, they call this a "long shot", eheh....

[Keith]

Chargers are going to be without RB Ryan Mathews. They're already likely to miss Keenan Allen, too.